Gifted Pelt

Chapter 59

When Astrila emerges from the tunnel, she has to blink past tears. The chamber she has entered is more rugged than any of the other caves within the system. Its shining edges are slightly jagged, enough to slice your skin apart. Not as easily as Nanuq's claws, but easily enough. The stone shines like sunlight, despite the dimness you would expect from being underground. The light that reflects off of the stone must be from the magic of the caves that lets Astrila see without additional light. Astrila frowns to herself, pulling her pelt tightly around her shoulders. Then she stops and glances down at it.

Her pelt is a liability right now. If they grab hold of it, she's doomed. She doesn't need to shift now, not while she's in the caves, so couldn't she hide it away? Astrila gently touches the wall, pressing her thoughts in. A gap opens up and she carefully places her pelt in before the gap seals away. There is a soft rumbling sound, of something falling. Astrila twists away from the wall to see the two men come tumbling into the chamber from the tunnel, which had gone vertical beneath them, causing them to fall. They lay there in a pile, groaning, before the man in red lifts his head. Astrila can see his eyes widen as he catches sight of the golden chamber. He hisses at the man lying half beneath of him, ignoring the fact that he's tangled up their legs and arms.

"Let go of me, you buffoon!"

It takes him several minutes to untangle himself, and Astrila just watches. She can see another tunnel forming out of the corner of her eye. It's hiding in the shadows where only she can see. An escape route if she needs it. The man in red gets to his feet and looks around the chamber, gazing at the gold with awe, delight, and greed playing across his face like one of Astrila's snow pictures. He turns toward her, still staring at the gold, then stops when his eyes snag on her. He sneers and takes a menacing step toward her. Astrila holds her ground.

"One last chance. Leave our island and go. Never come back."

"Now why would I do that? Think of how rich all this gold would make me!"

She just raises an eyebrow. "I can't think of it. My people have no use for this, no concept of why it would be valuable. We are perfectly fine with leaving it here, in the earth. You can't have it. Go."

He shakes his head and takes another step towards her, his hand going to his side. He pulls something out. It's black and shiny, with a curved angle to it. He wraps his hand around one end of it and points the other towards her. Instinctively, she knows it is a weapon, but she doesn't know how it can be.

"Give me the treaty or the island. Now! If you don't, I will shoot you."

Astrila shakes her head, taking a step back. Her hand slides into her belt pouch, grasping for her ulu, or something to defend herself with. The strange ball the Nanuq gave her slides into her palm, and her fingers tighten around it. But what can the ball do to protect her?

"I can't do those things."

He snarls. "Yes, you can! I know you have the treaty."

"Not anymore."

He is momentarily shocked before his face lines itself with resolve. "Then I'll shoot you anyway."

Astrila's fingers tighten around the ball, just as a strange force pushes him away from her. He crashes into one of the golden walls, their jagged edges slicing him open. His weapon goes skidding away from him. Between one blink and the next, the floor swallows it. A pool of blood starts to spread beneath him and Astrila's eyes widen slightly. Is he dead? His companion glances between them before he starts to move towards Astrila. A familiar voice whispers in her head. No, two voices. It's her magic and the guardian speaking together.

"Go."

Astrila turns and darts for the tunnel, her feet silent on the stone, even with her boots and her speed. The tunnel is trying to seal behind her, trying to block off the man, but he's too close. It doesn't have enough room to do so. The pounding of his feet isn't getting louder, but it isn't getting quieter either. Astrila keeps running, but the tunnel is endless. The caves are trying to put distance between them, but he is keeping up with her, so it isn't working. If she keeps going like this, she's going to drain all of her energy just running. She scowls and calls out to the caves, her voice quiet enough that the man behind her can't hear.

"Stop. I'll just drain all my energy like this."

The caves ripple around her, a signal. She doesn't slow her speed, not until she reaches the new end of the tunnel. It leads her into an empty stone chamber. Astrila angles to the side, trying to get out of sight of the tunnel. The cave accommodates her, creating an alcove tucked into the wall beside the tunnel. Astrila closes her eyes for a moment, trying to control her breathing and her thundering heart. Slowly, with every second that passes by, the hammering grows quieter, but the sound of her heart is replaced by that of the man's still pounding feet.
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What do you think is going to happen next? Tell me your thoughts!

Happy reading and I'll see you next chapter!

~Goddess of Fate, signing out.